Kiev’s unique character is indeed best felt after a visit to Moscow. Both these cities are predominantly Russian speaking capital cities, full of government buildings and institutions inherited from Soviet days. Yet there are marked differences.
Kiev is quieter and more modest. The noise level is lower, the buildings are smaller and less monumental, building development is not nearly as dense. The government buildings are more provincial in character and don’t smack of imperialism. There are no buildings or squares that overwhelm you like in Moscow.
Kiev’s green hills above the Dnipro river, spotted with churches and monuments, relay the quiet spirituality (spiritualism?) that Kiev embodies even after 70 years of enforced atheism.
One of the things that makes Kiev unique is the amount of wild open areas within city boundaries or adjacent to the city. Kiev is surrounded by forests on three sides and has several large islands on the Dnipro. It’s possible to spend years in Kiev and know only of gray highrises, stuffy public transportation, and historic buildings downtown, but if you begin studying the map and exploring, you’ll find an incredible amount of wild areas and greenery.
You can buy various Ukrainian souvenirs on Andrew Descent (Andreevskiy Spusk): embroidered towels, matrioshkas, wooden painted plates and eggs, glass souvenirs, small dolls in national clothing, paintings and clothing. There is also a souvenir section in Kiev central magazine (Tsum), located in Khreschatik St and a souvenir shop near St Sofia Cathedral.